1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to bicycles, and more particularly to spoked wheels therefor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The customary manner of securing the spokes in a bicycle wheel is by engaging an inner hooked end of each spoke in an aperture in a hub flange and tensioning the spoke by screwing a nipple onto its outer end which extends through an aperture in the rim and engages the outer surface of a central peripheral groove in the rim. A tire or tire and tube then may be mounted in well-known manner on the rim, it being understood that the valve stem thereof extends through a suitable hole in the central peripheral groove of the rim.
If one of the spoke nipples becomes loose during operation of the bicycle, it will very quickly penetrate or puncture the tube or tire. An attempt has been made to solve this problem by stretching an endless rubber band over the rim and positioning it in the central peripheral groove, with a pre-punched aperture in the rubber band coinciding with the valve stem hole, before mounting the tire. This has proven not to be very effective at best because the rubber has a marked tendency to float and become dislocated relative to the spoke nipples in use, and it is difficult to initially properly align the aperture in the rubber band with the valve stem hole in the rim.